Section-insulator



w; c. McILVAIN. SECTION INSULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, I920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

W. C. MclLVAlN.

SECTION INSULATOR.

A P P L l C A T I O N F I L E D M A R. 9. I920.

31 WC'MC IZva.

Patented DecL-28, 1920.

2 SSSSSSSSSS ET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

sno'rron-msunnroa.

Application filed March 9, 1920.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that'I, WILLIAM C. MoIL- VAIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Russellton, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSection-Insulators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

lily invention relates toimprovements in section insulators or breakersfor the purpose of joining sections of trolley wire and has for itsprimary object to provide a simple and effective breaker to insulatesections from one another and which is provided with a switch wherebythe sections may be electrically connected. One of the primary objectsof the inven tion is 'to provide section insulator that is constructedso that it may be. easily and quickly applied to a trolley wireso as todivide it into' sections, said device being arranged to be connectedwith a wire and clamped thereto prior to the cutting of the wire todivide it into sections.

Another object is to provide effective clamping means for securing theends of the trolley wire in such manner that accidental derangementthereof is prevented and releasing thereof when desired may be had in anexpeditious manner.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the followingspecification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

lVith reference to the drawings, wherein l. have illustrated thepreferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, andthroughout the several views of which similar reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts,

Figure 1 is a side elevation ofmy 1mproved section insulator,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the insulator,

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the insulator,

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the clampingelements of the device, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Serial No. 364,540.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on line 7-7 ofFig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the numerals 1 and2 designate as entireties metallic clamping members to secure the endsof trolley wires and 3 an approximately rectangular body of insulatingmaterial to which the clamping members 1 and 2 are secured.

Each ofthe clamping members 1 and 2 comprises an elongated casting 4that is approximately rectangular in cross section and provided at itsinner end with spaced attaching ears 5. The cars 5 receive therebetweenthe ends of the insulating body 3 and suitable fastening elements 6 areinserted through the ears 5 so as to secure them to the body. It willthus beseen that the members 1 and 2 are insulated from one another.

The lower longitudinal edge of each castin 4 is provided with alongitudinal groove '7 that is approximately semi-circular in crosssection and designed to receive a trolleywire designated A. Preferablycylindrical openings 8 are formed vertically through the castings 4.

I provide a pair of elongated clamping bars 9 and 10. Each of the bars 9and 10 is tapered toward oneend and rounded along its lowerlongitudinaledge so as to conform as much as possible to the diameter ofthe trolley wire and obviate possibility of throwing the trolley wheel,not shown, off of the trolley in encountering said clamp. A longitudinal trolley wire receiving groove 11 is formed in the upper face ofeach of the members 9. and 10. Carried by each of the members 9 and 10is a pair of upstanding spaced split bolts 12 arranged to extend withinthe openings 8.. Formed integral with the castings 4 and extendingtransversely across the openings 8 are wedge members 13 to be receivedbetween the sides of the split bolts 12. These wedge members terminateat a point spa ced from the upper end of the openings 8 and serve toforce apart. the sides of the split bolts-12. Nuts 14 are turned uponthe upper ends of the bolts 12 which upper ends are extended beyond theupper faces of the castings 4.

The nuts 1a securely hold the members 9 and 10 in clamping cooperationwith the castings 4 and to prevent the trolley wires from slippingrelative to the members 9 and 10, I provide projections 15 within thegrooves 11 that are arranged between the sides of the split bolts 12.These projections 15 serve to securely clamp the trolley wires.

As a means for electrically connecting the members 1 and 2 with oneanother, I provide a knife switch consisting of a knife blade 16 that ishinged at one end to a bearing bracket 17 that is carried by the member1 on one side thereof. A handle 18 is carried at the other end of theblade 16 and a sta tionary contact member 19 is carried upon the member2 and arranged to cooperate with the blade 16. Carried upon theinsulating body block 3 at a point spaced from the inner ends of theattaching ears 5 is a hanger socket 20 to be connected with suitablesupporting element, not shown.

The inner ends of the castings 4: at the lower edges thereof are.disposed below the lower longitudinal edge of the body plate 3 and formshoulders 21. An elongated insulating strip 22 is placed between theshoulders 21 in engagement with the lower longitudinal edge of the body3. of insulting material and shaped so that. it corresponds to the lowerlongitudinal faces of the members 9 and 10. Suitablefastening means 23countersunk within the mem ber 22 secure it to the body 3.

In use, the breaker is placed upon a trolley wire when it is desired todivide the wire into sections and the members 9 and 10 fitted intoclamping relation to the wire.

The wire is then out between the shoulders 21 for a distance equivalentto the length of the member 22 and the strip 22 is then secured in placewith its ends abutting the inner ends of the members 9 and 10 andtrolley wires A. By throwing the knife switch out, the line will bedivided. into sections which may be electrically connected at will bymoving the knife switch blade 16 into engagement with the contact 19.

With reference to the foregoing description and accompanying drawings itwill be seen that I have provided a section breaker or insulator whichmay be secured upon a trolley wire in such way that the trolley wire maybe cut and the end spaced to divide the line into sections. With the useof my improved device burning out of the wires relative to the clamp isobviated, slipping of the wires relative to the clamp prevented and thewires supported in a re liable and effective manner.

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated inthe drawings This strip 22 is and referred to in the above description,as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yetrealizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my devicewill necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minorchanges in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of partsmay be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of theadvantages of my invention, as set forth.

What is claimed is 1. A section insulator consisting of a body ofnon-insulating material, clampingmembers carried by the body and spacedfrom one another, means to establish an electrical communication betweenthe clamping members, each of said clamping members consisting of acasting secured to the body plate, elongated clamping bars arranged tecooperate with the castings, the opposed faces of the clamping bars andcastings being grooved to receive trolley wires, said castings havingopenings therethrough, split bolts carried by the clamping bars andarranged to extend into said openings, wedge members mounted within theopenings and to be disposed between the sides of the split bolts, thefree ends of the split bolts terminating above the plane of the castingsand nuts turned on the free ends of said bolts.

2. A section insulator consisting of clamping members, abody ofinsulating material connected with the clamping members, switch meansfor electrically connecting the clamping members with one another, ch ofsaid clamping members consisting of a casting secured to the insulatingbody, clamping bars to cotiperate with the castings, the lower faces ofthe castings being disposed below the lower edge of the insulating body,means to adjustably secure the clamping bars to the castings, and astrip of non-insulating material having a rounded relatively narrowlower face secured to the body plate and abutting the inner ends of thecastings and clamping bars, said clamping bars being reduced and taperedtoward their outer ends and provided with curved lower faces.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM MOILVAIN.

Witnesses Ti-ros. HEIGHT, T. E. DOLAN.

